We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

A decade ago, in a moment of excessive candor, Watson referred to the (statistically true) lower average IQ of black Americans. He probably had some bad experiences, but there is no shortage of less intelligent white people in the world either. Half of white Americans have below average IQs and many of them sport college degrees.

Anyway, the warnings are out there. You can be blackballed in academia, and in life, so keep your disappointing experiences with race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc. to yourself and to your friends like everybody does. Lie if you have to. Thus experience and facts are driven underground.

Jordan Peterson, in one of his Youtubes, said "The alternative to free speech is tyranny." In Watson's case, as in Charles Murray's case, the consequence of free speech is being blackballed which is a sort of extra-legal social tyranny with financial consequences. Watson would be a very wealthy man if not for his indiscretion.

Fast is, there are plenty enough intelligent, energetic, and competent people out there of all colors and ethnicities. Statistics do not apply to individuals or to the task at hand, but only at the macro level.

My ethnicity is dumber, statistically, than Ashkenazi Jews and East Asians. I can see that, experientially, in my life. My competitive self is disappointed, but I am ok with it now. IQ is not the most important factor in success or life happiness anyway: it's just one of several limiting factors in high-complexity work. I know my limits.

In fact, I think I have seen more people with average IQs achieve their life dreams than I have high IQ people. It's just in different areas of endeavor. Depending on the area, any of these can be life- limiting factors: IQ, social skills and social graces, solid judgement, stick-to-it-iveness, stress tolerance, self-discipline, energy and drive, integrity and loyalty, articulateness, curiosity, dutifulness - and more. IQ, like height, is a life factor which can't be improved by effort.

Many years ago, I had a lengthy discussion with the head of the police department in one of America's biggest cities. He had a remarkable record of achievement in several different fields. His IQ, he told me, was 89.

You did not elaborate how much "stress tolerance" one should be expected to have while in a teaching position. How many dirty phone calls? How many times being stalked? How many times having your home broken into and your office searched? How many times being followed on an airplane? How many times being told that you "have to make us look good or else? How many times with strangers ringing your door bell and running into your house when you open the door? How many times when someone rings the doorbell and when you get to the door they are gone? How many times when your banker cries and tells you that she had to close your account because the liberal feminists were going to put her son in jail again for sexual abuse if she didn't? How many times when no attorney--not one--will take your case and help to defend you? How much of this BS is one expected to have in order to quality for a teaching position?

I am a plumber and cannot believe the number of lawyers, doctors, accountants and, yes, astrophysicists that do not know that water freezes at 32 degrees. Ergo, they forget that their vacation home was not winterized and froze when winter takes us into the low teens.

IQ does not equate to being smart. It equates to knowing things that others may not know, but is useless in everyday life.

Heh, heh, I knew a high-ranking official in the Clinton administration who didn't understand the difference between freshwater and saltwater, and which was in the ocean and which in lakes and streams. A little frightening, actually.

it's fatal to public policy to have outcome-based laws about discrimination. The excluded class is sure there's discrimination, and the included class wonders why it's being blamed all the time when it's trying really hard to advance the excluded class.

Good character matters more, and that's almost designed to prevent good character in anybody.

In fact, I think I have seen more people with average IQs achieve their life dreams than I have high IQ people.

Life outcomes strongly correlate to IQ. This is one of the few results that has replicated over and over in studies. It's comforting to think that biology can be overcome by wishful thinking, but there's zero evidence to support it. Still, the self-help industry is a billion dollar business because people want to believe in magic.

Now, where things get interesting is at the extreme right, where the genius and super-genius lie. Modern American society is built for the 95-IQ people. Extremely high intelligence is interpreted as social awkwardness and generally being weird. That can impair life outcomes because "networking" is often a component of success. It's why most politicians and performers are better suited with a low-90's IQ.

E-Mail addresses will not be displayed and will only be used for E-Mail notifications.

To prevent automated Bots from commentspamming, please enter the string you see in the image below in the appropriate input box. Your comment will only be submitted if the strings match. Please ensure that your browser supports and accepts cookies, or your comment cannot be verified correctly.Enter the string from the spam-prevention image above: